The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-28
READINGS MEN AT WORK
THE COMPANY DENIES THAT IT is
A CASE OF ARBITRATION


Opposite Idea of the State of Affairs
Strikers Left Out in the Cold in
Several Instances by an Influx of
New Men.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, Dec. a7.--The exec
utive committee of the Reading Railroad
employees assembled early this morning,
and after a secret session which lasted Sow
eral hours, decided to lift the great strike on
the Reading system, pending arbitration
with the company. The five crews over
whom the trouble originated, are to be sup
ported in the meantime by financia, aid
from the employees. This decision was
reached after conference with Supt. Swci-
gard at his office, last night The commit
tee then returned to their meeting place in
Port Richmond, and after several hours
discussion, decided to submit their case to
arbitration.
In the afternoon motion had been car
ried to propose arbitration to the officials
Mr.. Sweigard met the committee graciously
and assured them that such plan would be
entirely agreeable to the Reading Railroad
There were present fourteen members of
the committee, representing all sections of
the road
The decision of the Knights in Reading
yesterday not to strike, is supposed to have
had some influence upon the action of the
board.
WHAT A COMMITTEEMAN SAYS.
One of the committee said this
morning: "We decided that it
would be far better to pay the strik-
ing crews their wages rather than jeop-
ardize so many interests Mr.. SweigaId
has always treated us squarely, and we feel
that we can trust him. All side issues will
be sunk and only the main point in dispute
will be arbitrated upon. We have not yet
agreed upon the time or method of arbitra-
tion. That will be settled at a conference
of both Sides but as speedily as possible
We have sent kilograms to all our assem-
blies to resume work at once. We feel that
the public will declare our decision a wise
one, especially since the city might be so
seriously affected at the present time We
do not anticipate any difficulty in settling
| the matter"
TRAINS MovI1G.
All trains were moving ON the Reading
railroad this morning, and no further
| trouble was anticipated. Nearly all the
employees reported for duty promptly at z
| o'clock at the various depots and freight
yards as we'll as those employed at the coal
wharves at Port Richmond The work of
moving coal trains and transferring coal
| from cars to vessels at the wharf was at
once begun, and there was very little evil
! dence of the great strike which for the past
| few days has threatened to paralyxe the
business of the entire Reading railroad
! system Quite a number of employees in
various branches failed to report, butt the
officials state that these have perhaps been
| celebrating Christmas too enthusiastically,
and that their places will be kept open for
them a few days.
MR.. swEIGARD's VERSION.
General Superintendent Sweigard said
this morning that the statement that he had
agreed with the Knights of Labor to sub
| NIT the Questions in dispute to arbitration
was incorrect He said that last evening a
| committee representing the employees of the
company called at his office and he talked
with them briefly regarding the threatened
! strike. He held out no inducements to the
men, however, and would listen to no
| proposition which had for it's object the re-
| instatement of the men who had been dis
| charged for refusing to deliver cars TO Tay-
| lor's elevators These men, be says, have
been discharged and will never again be en-
| ployed by the company. He says no agree
ment was proposed either by the com
mittee or by him, and that the committee
| left when he informed them that he
| would hold no conversation regarding the
| discharged men. The reporter at this point
asked Mr.. Sweigard whether he proposed to
take up the Port Richmond difficulty and
submit any questions involved therein to
arbitration, to which he tersely replied
There is nothing to submit There is one
| thing in connection with this subject that
may as well be disposed of while we are on
| it.
THE ALLEGED AGREEMENT.
1.-THE employes, or some of them. have
| accused the company of not living up TO
| Article Is of the agreement entered
into with the men last winter. which
was TO the effect that no man should be
discharged without first being given hear
| ing Well, about two months ago, three
! brakemen refused to go out on train, be-
cause one of the men, conductor, was not
Knight of Labor. ] discharged the three
men, and when the committee called on me
! and begged for their reinstatement, told
| them that the company did not propose to
re-employ men who left their work under
such circumstances. The committee, con-
sisting of John Lee, Cssil and Sharkey fol-
lowed me all over Port Richmond, and
| pleaded their case. Finally, agreed to re-
instate the men, after u suspension of three
months, upon condition that the
committee should go before every assembly
| of the order and say TO the members that
hereafter any employe who refused to per-
| form duty when ordered by an official
should be discharged, and they the Knights
! of Labor should not appoint any commit
tee to follow up the matter or require any
| explanation. Now when | instructed the
men at Port Richmond to deliver the cars
consigned to the Taylor elevator and they
refused ] discharged them in conformity
with this agreement, and this fully answers
the complaint in regard to Article l3. Every
man who has been discharged will remain
| discharged never TO be again employed by
this company"
NOTHING TO ARBITRATE.
General Manager Mcleod this afternoon
made the following public announcement:
''Tne report that the Reading company had
agreed to arbitrate with its striking EN-
ployes is absolutely false. There is nothing
TO discuss, much less arbitrate. The men
discharged were not and will not be taken
back. The new men employed when the old
ones went out will not be discharged 20
make room for old ones, and all the latter
have been notified that ie they desire to re-
tain their places, they must return 10 work
| Immediately and Internationally, and all
have returned under that order, SO far as
places were left for them. Besides, the
| leaders at Port Richmond, who bought on
the strike. have been discharged, and will
not be allowed again in the company's SER
vice"
A statement identical with this was made
public in New York this afternoon by au-
| thoriGy of President Corbin.
CIRCULAR ISSUED.